Simon, You obviously have not seen our Hurdy-gurdy Method, which has been rated highly by many players, one high school teacher saying it is the best instrumental method he has ever seen. A recent customer, on receiving the accompanying CD, wrote to say it was just what they wanted! And the book has helped hundreds of people on the road to success. The normal way to teach an instrument is to have a Method from which the teacher selects items to study in preparation for the next lesson. Such a Method will include graded exercises and melodies as well as general information. The best combination of teacher and Method depends on circumstances other than cash. Is there a teacher (not just a player) within easy reach? Can you play the piano or are otherwise musically literate or have you a really good ear? Are there hurdy-gurdy players nearby who will help and guide you? Fortunate indeed is the player who finds such a local community because the many people who are isolated can only learn from a Method and CDs, plus the occasional visit to a festival. Of course the best way is to grow up in a community where the hurdy-gurdy is the regional folk instrument, but most people have missed the bus here. So to attempt to make up for this and to get the sound and style into your ears you should listen to recordings as most people listen to pop - all the time!
Of course, a book is no substitute for a teacher but should be a useful adjunct to personal instruction. But the unavailability of teachers is evidenced by the number of enquiries that are posted to this forum. Books and fora are best at giving technical information. The aim of mastering these techniques (adjustment and digital, ie digital dexterity) is so that we may make music. But musicianship itself can not be learned by post and requires contact with established musicians. I have promoted the hurdy-gurdy for 40 years by performing, teaching and publishing plans and a Hurdy-gurdy Method which has been welcomed on every continent. For my work I have even been called the saviour of the hurdy-gurdy! Upwards of 3,000 copies have been sold and I have yet to hear that one has been binned, though do keep me posted. I took the book off the market last year as stock was running low, but I plan to have a web site before too long. Perhaps you would like to make mutual links when I can at last bring this about. In the meantime books are available direct from me. Michael -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "hurdygurdy" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/hurdygurdy The rules of posting, courtesy, and other list information may be found at http://hurdygurdy.com/mailinglist/index.htm. To reduce spam, posts from new subscribers are held pending approval by the webmaster.
